ARLINGTON -- At the end, it still wasn’t completely clear whether Nolan Ryan wanted to head out to the Ranch or simply felt no longer needed by the Rangers.

While the club announced Thursday that Ryan was “retiring” as CEO, he preferred “resign” in his own remarks. It left the impression, at least faintly, that Ryan feels he may still have more to offer a club, though not necessarily in such a high-profile role.

“I think you could use either word,” Ryan said at a hastily-called press conference at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington to announce the end of his nearly six years in the club’s executive offices. “Will I ever be the CEO of another major league club? No. It’s not my intent. I don’t think I’ll ever have another role like I had here.”

“This is closes a chapter of my life in baseball,” Ryan added. “It’s time for me to move on to some other things. It’s been a decision that has weighed on my heavily. When you make these decisions, you make them from the heart. I think it was the right thing for me to do.”

He will cede his title as CEO effective October 31. He is also selling his share of the club, which had dwindled to less than one percent of ownership, to Bob Simpson and Ray Davis, who have spent the last few months consolidating the shareholders.

Ryan’s ownership stake had shrunk when he declined to participate in various cash calls over the last two years. The value of his share is expected to be less than $10 million.

The decision puts to an end a relationship that had become tenuous over the last year. Last fall, ownership decided to give GM Jon Daniels complete autonomy over the baseball operations department. In the spring, Daniels and Rick George were given titles of President, over baseball operations and business operations respectively.

Until that moment, Ryan had been President and CEO since Chuck Greenberg’s ouster as CEO in March, 2011. At the time of the switch, Ryan, feeling he was removed from any significant day-to-day decision-making, considered retiring.

“I don’t think the title changes had anything to do with it,” Ryan said. “I look at where I am in my life.”

Ryan, who turns 67, in January, denied any rancor between himself and Daniels. He said their relationship was “good” and the relationship never came into play.

Daniels, in an email statement, said: “I’ve enjoyed my time working with and learning from Nolan. We’ve shared a lot of successes together, along with many others here. I specifically appreciate his passion for the game and the way he treats people in and out of the organization. We wish him the best in whatever he chooses to do next.”

Daniels said he would have no further comment, leaving the day to Ryan and ownership.

Simpson and Davis, the major players on the ownership side, expressed “disappointment” in Ryan’s decision, but said they understood it.

“I tried to talk him out of it every way I knew how,” Simpson said. “It just couldn’t be overcome.”

What Ryan brought first and foremost to the Rangers upon his February, 2008 hiring was an air of integrity and credibility at a time when the club was foundering on the field and struggling to hold its fan base. By sitting in the front row of every home game, Ryan immediately brought credibility back.

He also helped reinforce the club’s developing pitching-first mentality, which emphasized stronger, fitter more durable pitchers. It dovetailed nicely with the philosophy of Daniels’ staff at the time. In 2007, the Rangers posted a 4.75 ERA. It has been under 4.00 every year starting with 2010 and fell to 3.62 this season.

If differences did develop, they were on the hiring side. Ryan insisted on hiring Tim Purpura as director of player development following the 2011 season over Daniels protests. Following 2012, Daniels wanted to reassign bench coach Jackie Moore, who had been hired on Ryan’s recommendation after 2008. Ryan balked.

In the last month, Purpura has been reassigned to the business side of the operation and Moore was not retained.

When asked if Ryan still had authority on baseball decisions at the time he decided to resign, Davis said he had authority on all major decisions that impact the long-range vision of the club. When pushed on Moore, Davis said he did not consider that to be a “major” decision for the club’s long-term health.

“Nolan’s authority did not change at all,” Davis said.

Asked if he thought his role had changed over time, Ryan also demurred.

“I don’t think it really changed my role,” Ryan said. “I felt like what I was brought in to do and what I expected to do and what I expected of myself did not change.”

On Thursday, regardless of how it was worded, one thing definitely changed for the Rangers: Nolan Ryan is no longer going to be involved.